Dispensing-counter.



W. H. GRIFFIN.

DISPENSING COUNTER.

' APPLICATION FILED MAR.20. 1911.

1,249,617. Patented Dec. 11,1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Mn-(new W. H. GRIFFIN.

DISPENSING COUNTER. 7

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, m1.

1 ,249, 61 7. Patented Dec. 11, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. 7

T //J 22 \U 4? R T W i UNITED STATE PATENT OFEIGE.

WILLIAM ENRY. GRIFFIN, oravaw sosroiv. TEXAS,

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spei b fn a am iratented'peaii;1917.

Application filed M ch 2 917. Se ia N 0,156,064.

To all whom itmag concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM HENRY GRIFFIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Boston, in the county'of Bowie and State ofTexas, have invented a new and useful DispensingCounter, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention appertains toidispensing devices, and to provide anovel and improved dispensing counter or cabinet 1 for use in grocerystores and elsewhere for .view which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement ofparts and in the details of construction hereinafter clescribed andclaimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what isclaimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure1 is a rear view of the dispensing counter, portions being broken awayand shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, portionsbeing shown in elevation.

The counter or cabinet proper is in the form of a horizontally elongatedcasing, constructed of wood or other suitable material, and having theend walls 1 which can be seated upon the floor or other support. Thecasing has a vertical front wall 2, the top 3, and inclined rear wall 4,said rear wall being inclined outwardly. The casing is provided atsuitable spaced points between its ends with partitions 5 separating thecasing into a series of bins for holding the various materials. Each binhas a V-shaped bottom 6 sloping rearwardly, and the rear wall 1 has adischarge opening 7 for each bin located at the lower forward end of thebin bottom 6. The top 3 of the casing has a door 8 for each bin, wherebythe bins can beireadily filled, and the front wall 2 has aiglasswin'dow'9' for each bin, whereby the customers can observe the various materialsand make their selection.

The discharge of the material from'each bin is controlled by avertically sli-daible valve 10 arranged to coverand uncover-thedischarge 'opening 7, said valve beingeecured to the lower end'of a rod11 slidable in staples or other guides 1-2;secur ed to the rearwall 4.The upper end of each rod'11 is provided with a 1 rearwardly projectinghandle IS-near the-top of the'counter or cabinet, which can be readilymanipulated by the clerk or salesman.

j The valves 10 are located nearthe bottom of the counter, while therods'll extend upwardly therefrom to enable them to be convenientlyraised and lowered.

Carried by the top 3 of the counter longitudinally thereof is a trackdisposed above the inclined rear wall 41- and constituting rails 1-1- onwhich a platform scales 15 is movable, said'scales having wheels'16traveling on the rails, whereby the scales canbe readilyshiftedlongitudinally from" one bin to another.

of the scales whereby the weight of the material in the receptacle willbe properly imposed on the platform of the scales. By the provision ofthe hanger 17, the receptacle 21 is supported for movement along thelower edge of the rear wall 4 past the several discharge openings 7, andthe receptacle will be supported, so that when the scales and hanger 17are stopped, at any one bin, the receptacle will be in a position toreceive the material from the respective opening 7- when the valve 10thereof is slid open upwardly.

When it is desired to take a desired quantity of material from any bin,the scales 15 is shifted upon the track until it is brought over theselected bin, with the rod 11 intermediate the bars 18 when looking fromthe rear, as seen in Fig. 1. This will bring the receptacle 21 below theoutlet opening 7 of the selected bin, and then by reaching in betweenthe bars 18 and raising the handle 13, the valve 10 will be opened. Whenthe desired amount of material is discharged into the receptacle, thebeam of the scales will rise, and the valve 10 is then lowered to shutoff the flow of material. The receptacle can then be removed from theplatform 20 for dumping the material into a bag. By having the rear wall4 of the counter inclined, the track for the scales overhangs the lowerdischarge outlets of the bins, in order that the receptacle 21 can bedisposed vertically below the scales, the plate 19 and platform 20extending in the same direction to rest upon the scales platform andsupport the receptacle 21, respectively. The slotted formation of thehanger 17 enables the same to be readily brought to the proper position,as seen in Fig. 1.

It is preferable to provide vertical partitions 9' within the binsadjacent to the front walls thereof and immediately in rear of thewindows 9, whereby to provide pockets for holding samples of the variousmaterials so that they can be seen through the window, the materialsremaining in said pockets and not being disturbed by the discharge ofthe materials from the bin, unless the partitions 9 are raised to permitthe materials to run from the pocket. The par titions 9 can be liftedout of the bins through the openings in the top of the casing when thedoors 8 are removed, whereby the windows can be cleaned on the inside.

Itis also preferable to provide forwardly opening compartments 22underneath the bins for holding vegetables, nails, or various otherarticles to which access can be had from in front of the counter, thebottoms of said compartments sloping rearwardly to retain the articlestherein.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A deviceof the character described embodyinga series of bins having lowerdischarge means, a platform scales movable longitudinally over the binsabove the dis charge means, and a hanger having a rigid plate at itsupper end extending in one direction to rest upon the platform of saidscales and having a rigid platform at its lower end projecting in thesame direction to support a receptacle below thescales and dischargemeans for receiving materials from said discharge means.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM HENRY GRIFFIN.

J AMES HUBBARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G.

